Seat belts are mandatory equipment in all vehicles manufactured and sold in the United States and in most other countries. Seat belts are also mandatory in most airplanes in current manufacture and seat belts are commonly used in many other vehicles.
Seat belts are characterized by a belt that surrounds the waist of the wearer opposite the seat, and frequently, the belt is joined to a shoulder harness.
A flat blade is retained by the belt, with the flat blade usually having a slidable engagement with the belt. The flat blade engages a receiver that is mounted in a sturdy fashion to the vehicle, sometimes having a pivoting mounting to the vehicle.
In some applications, it is desirable to be able to extend the effective size or length of the seat belt. Examples include persons who have a large girth and pregnant women who desire or require a longer seat belt. Also, seat belts can be used to retain articles, rather than persons, within the seat. The seat belt extender may allow larger items to be retained by the seat belt, increasing the safety of transporting such articles.
A seat belt extender is typically an item that is sold and used on an after-market basis, and is not supplied as original equipment. The user of the seat belt extender may own vehicles produced by more than one manufacturer. Therefore, the blades and receivers for each vehicle may be of different sizes.
Window breaking devices for vehicles are useful in emergencies. If a vehicle becomes suddenly submerged, electric windows will not work, and water pressure prevents doors from opening. Other situations indicate that an exit through a window is advisable, such as when a vehicle that has been in an accident that damages the doors, and fire or smoke is present. Tempered glass of the type used in automobiles and trucks is difficult to break without an appropriate tool. When a tool is present inside the vehicle, the tool may not be readily accessible or the location may not be known to the passenger.